Discipline: Music Composition

Irwin Bazelon

Discipline: Music Composition
Region: New York, NY
MacDowell Fellowships: 1949, 1950, 1953
Irwin Bazelon (1922-1995) was an American composer from Evanston, IL. Bazelon began studying at Northeastern University, and upon realizing his passion for composition, changed to DePaul University where he began studying with Leo Stein. After finishing his study at DePaul, Bazelon went on to study at the Yale School of Music with Paul Hindemith, and then moved to study with Darius Milhaud at Mills College. Bazelon then moved to New York where he made a living from commissions for commercials, films, and concert music. Bazelon composed nine symphonies, and more than 60 orchestral, chamber, and instrumental works, his most popular works being Short Symphony, Churchill Downs, and Propulsions, and his music was recorded by Composers Recordings Inc. and on Albany Records. Bazelon conducted his work with numerous orchestras, including the Detroit Symphony, and the National Symphony, and he also served as a guest conductor at several schools, including Rutgers University, the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin College, Rice University, and the University of Virginia. In 1983 Bazelon was a recipient of the Koussevitsky Prize for his contribution to contemporary music.

Studios

Sorosis

Irwin Bazelon worked in the Sorosis studio.

Sorosis Studio was funded by the New York Carol Club of Sorosis. The small, masonry studio was designed by F. Winsor, Jr., the architect who also designed Savidge Library (1926) and Mixter Studio (1927). At the time of construction, the large porch on the southeast façade offered a spectacular mountain view that has since been obscured…

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